Lid-controlling device.



No. 7|0,903.. Patented Dot. 7, |902'.

' L. J. STICKLIN.

LID CONTHULLING DEVICE.

(Application led June 21, 1902.)

A TTOHNEKS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS J. STIOKLIN, OF CHEHALIS, WASHINGTON.

LID-CONTROLLING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 710,903, dated October 7, 1902.

Application lcd June 21,1902.

In the ordinary burial of bodies the casket containing the body is lowered into a plain box and the said box closed by lowering alid into the grave to rest upon the top of the box. This methodY of closing the plain box is inconvenient, usually requires the aid of two persons, and by reason of the irregularity of the walls of the grave it frequently occurs that the board cannot be lowered uniformly, and thereby requires extra labor, care, and attention and an unnecessary waste of time to properly Iit the board on the box.

My invention primarily has for its object to overcome the objections noted,and to make it possible to lower the lid with the box and to provide means whereby one person can from the top of the grave conveniently manipulate the lid on the box, adjust it to an open position to admit of the insertion of the casket, and for closing the said box after the casket has been placed therein.

Myinvention comprehends a device adapted to be detachably connected with a casketholding box having its lid hinged thereto to fold back to a vertical plane and which is capable of being adjustably shifted on the boxbody, whereby when adjusted to one position it will act as a stay or detent for holding the lid open and when adjusted to another position to be freed from the lid to permit its dropping down to close the box.

In its more complete make -up my invention includes a strap or other flexible member of sufficient length to extend to the top of the grave for convenient handling, one end of which connects with the combined lift and stay device and the other end of which is provided with means for detaehably engaging the lid of the box.

In its subordinate features my invention consists in certain details of construction and Serial No. 112,685. (No model peculiar combination of parts, all of which will hereinafter be fully described,and specically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being vhad to the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure lis a perspective view of a casket-receiving box with the lid closed, the lid lifter and detent being shown adjusted for raising the lid and the flexible memberjoined with the lifter-detent andthe box-cover. Fig. 2 illustrates the manner in which the cover or lid controlling device acts as a detent or lock for holding'the lid to its open position. Fig. 3 shows the manner in which the combined lift and detent member is released from the lid. Fig. Llis asimilar view showing the combined lift and detent member freed from the lid and the box and illustrates the manner in which the lid is lowered. Fig. 5 is a detail .view of the combined lift and detent device, the peculiar construction of which forms'an essential feature of my invention.

To permit ot' the use of my invention, thel lid (t of the casket-holding box A is hinged to one side to swing up in a vertical plane with the box side, as shown in Fig. 2. At one end the lid at its front edge has a bail a', the purpose of which will presently appear, and near the upper edge that end of the box A nearest the bail a' has an outwardly-projecting stop lug or rod 2, provided with an inturned portion 2a in a plane with the box side, which portion acts as a guide for leading the lower end of the combined lift and detent member into engagement with the stop lug 2. The detent member l consists of a metal bar of slightly-greater length than the height of the box A, and at the lower end it is attened, as indicated at l, and provided with an angle-stop lb, over the lower end of which extends an integral guard-finger b, which projects beyond the stop lb and curves upward, as at b', to form a hooked guideway o2 for the stop lb, the purpose of which is to cause the stop ll to positively engage with the stop-lug 2 when the detent member I is lifted up to the position shown in Fig. 2 and to cause the said stop lh to extend over and rest upon the said lug` 2, for reasons presently made clear. The upper portion of the detent member l is also flattened, and its extreme upper end (indicated by le) is apertured to receive the snap-hook Son one end of the strap or other liftmember 4, the other end of which has a hook 4 for conveniently engaging the bail 0, on the box-lid, and to permit of easily disconnecting the said end of the strap from the said bail after the coffin has been lowered andthe casket-lid closed down the hook 4 is of the opentongs kind, as shown, whereby by relaxing the strain on the strap e said hook 4 will readily become disengaged from the bail a to permit the entire device being readily lifted out of the grave. The upper end of the detent member l is also provided with a forked portion 1, adapted to engage a stud a5, laterally extended from the lid a, when a pull strain is effected upon the detent member l, and by reason thereof it willserve to swing the lid up to a vertical position as the' member 1 is pulled upward, and to provide for automatically guiding the said forked end of the detent member 1 into engagement with the stud a5 the said member 1 is also provided with a guard-linger 1f, that projects out over the forked end ld, and its end fterminates in a pendent hook-like guide f', that projects slightly below the upper or entrant part of the -forked end 1d to form a guide-throat for the free passage of the stud d5 therebetween when the detent member 1 is to be disengaged therefrom in the manner presently explained.

So far as described it will be apparent that when the lid or cover is down to the position shown in Fig. 1 and the detent member 1 pendently hung ou the stud a5 by reason of its guard-linger lf resting thereon and the upper end of the said member lis guided by the stop 2 a pull strain upon the strap end connected with the member will cause the forked part of the said member 1 to engage with the stud a5 on the lid and become interlocked therewith, and hence the said member 1 will then act as a lifter for bringing the lid a to the position shown in Fig. 2 and the box A in readiness to receive the casket, it being understood from the said Fig. 2 that when the lid is elevated the member 1 assumes such position that its'shoulder 1b passes onto the stud 2 and forms a lock-rest and by reason thereof acts as a detent or bracket for holding the lid'open, said lid being thus supported on account of the stud a5 resting in the forked stayin the upper end ofthe member 1, as before stated. After the casket is lowered the operator by giving a pull on the strap outward in the direction indicated by the arrow X in Fig. 2 releases the upper end of the detent member 1 from the lid-stud a5, which becomes freed by passing through the throatf, before referred to, and by further pulling the said member 1 in the direction indicated the lower end of the said member will become released from the stop 2, and thus the entire member 1 isA freed from the box or lid, the latter being then lowered by the strap end connected therewith, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. After the box-lid vis closed down by slightly shaking the strap end having -the open hook the latter can be readily disconnected from the lid and the entire lid-controlling means lifted out of the grave for use on other hinged-cover casketholding boxes.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be noticed l have provided a simple and convenient means for controlling the box-lid which can be used with any ordinary coinholding box without requiring a special construction of box, further than hinging the lid or cover member thereto and driving in the stud and guide member 2 and a5, which may be an ordinary nail for the lid, and a bentV wire nail for the box end, and a wirel bailfor the lid, the application of which requires neither skill nor expense. Y

The detent member 1 can be sold as a new article, for the reason that any ordinary cord, strap, or iexible means can be secured thereto, as the upper end of the said member 1 has provision for conveniently connecting the said flexible member therewith.

The advantages of my invention will be readily apparent. By use of the `same the box-lid is always in position before the casket is lowered, and the lid can almost instantly be closed, and the construction of detent member 1 is such that it can, be quickly slipped out of an operative condition.

While I prefer to use a lift and detent member arranged as shown and adapted to be combined with the box and lid as described, it is manifest that under the scope of the appended claims the exact arrangement of the several parts may be varied or modified without departing from my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As a new article, a device for controlling the hinged lid of a coffin-box, comprising a bar, the upper end of which is forked and adapted to connect with a lift-strap, and whose lower end has a shouldered stop portion, and a combined guide and retaining hook projected over the said stop portion, for the purposes described.

2. The combination with the box-body, and the lid hinged thereto, the said lid and the body having each a laterally-projecting stud -of a combined lifter and detent, consisting of a member secured to the lifting-strap, its upper end having a forked portion to engage with the stud on the lid, its lower end having a stop-shoulder, and a hook projected over the shoulder, said hook and shoulder being arranged to engage with the stud on the box, all being arranged substantially as to the box, having a similar stud; of the de-V tent member 1, provided with an angle-stop at its lower end, and an integral guard-nger in the plane of the stop, the end of which projects beyond the stop and curves upward to form a guide for the stop, the upper end of the said member l having.: a forked seat, and a guard-finger projected over the said seat and extended beyond the same, and curved downward to form a guide for the said forked seat, said upper end being constructed to conveniently join with the liftstrap, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.A

4:. As a new article of manufacture,a means for controlling the hinged lid of a coffin-box, when the same is inserted in the grave, said means consisting of a lift-strap or the like, having means at one end for detachably connecting with the outer end of lthe hinged lid, and having a stay member adapted to be moved into engagement with the end and lid of the box, and to swing the lid upward When pulled upon, and to automatically act as a detent for holding the lid to its raised position, substantially as shown and for the purposes described.

LOUIS J. STICKLIN. Witnesses:

U. E. HARMON, GUY V. WoRTHINGToN. 

